Children's minds are hungry, receptive places that seek out information and ideas. The more engagingly presented these ideas can be, the better. And they don't need to be mind-bending fantasy to appeal to, or have an effect on, a child. Stories that chime more of a familiar chord are just as valuable.

Michael Marshall is a best-selling British novelist, who has managed to slip cleverly between genre fiction and mainstream thriller writing. He's also a short story author and screenwriter, who commutes between Brighton, London and Santa Cruz, California.